Program Highlights for Pau, France

Live in charming Pau, a lovely small city set against a stunning backdrop of the Pyrenees and with more green space per inhabitant than any other European city.

Choose from courses in Intensive French plus a choice of electives.

Enjoy field trips to the Pyrenees and the French Basque coast.

Take the optional Paris/Loire Tour and soak up all the “City of Light” has to offer.

Participate in sports activities such as skiing, hiking, yoga, dance and more.

The USAC Resident Director and staff are present on-site full-time to welcome and support you during your term abroad.

Why Study In Pau?

The Pau program offers an extraordinary opportunity to study the French language intensively, to take courses in other disciplines and to experience student life at a French university. Through formal coursework and personal interaction with the host culture, you will greatly expand your language skills and knowledge of French society. Pau is the perfect environment if you are looking for immersion into real traditional French culture in one of the most breathtakingly beautiful regions in France. The city is small enough to have everything within walking or biking distance; however, it is large enough to have several theatres, good movie houses, student clubs, outdoor cafés, and fantastic shops.

The Pau semester and yearlong program offers an intensive language approach that allows you to complete up to one and a half years of university language coursework in one semester. Additional courses in subjects such as literature, political science, film, culture, and art history are taught in English or French depending on the semester. The program also offers a unique opportunity to enroll in integrated courses with other international students studying at the University of Pau. You may choose to stay for one semester or a full year.

The summer Pau program offers two 4-week sessions, which can be combined for an 8-week session. An intensive language approach allows you to complete up to one year of college French in eight weeks, along with intensive study in French Conversation. You may also choose from courses in French and European Studies.

However, the academic courses are only part of the intended value of the program. Participation in a homestay, cultural events, and local festivals also form an integral part of the program. Field trips to Béarn, the Basque Country, and Spain introduce you to the rich cultural diversity of the region, as does the optional tour to Paris. If you take this tour, you will spend four days in Paris studying the history, art, and architecture of this magnificent city and one day in the Loire Valley visiting one of the most beautiful Renaissance castles as well as Versailles.